A feeble looking King Constantine II of Greece opened the Round Square International Conference 2017 on Sunday in Cape Town, South Africa, alongside his wife, Her Majesty Queen Anne-Marie of Greece.

The 77-year-old former monarch needed the assistance of a cane to walk, as well as a man to help him get to his seat. It appeared he was unable to walk on the stage as the other speakers had done, so two chairs were placed at the bottom of the stage for him and the Queen.

After he sat down, Queen Anne-Marie helped him open the paper that contained his speech. He appeared to make a joke before he began his speech, but what he said was not clear. It did get a chuckle out of the audience. She also helped him hold the microphone as he began his speech saying that he was “honoured to be with you to open the Round Square.” His Majesty was only able to speak one sentence of his speech before he became emotional. He was choked up when he spoke the first sentence and was unable to continue.

Queen Anne-Marie then took over for her husband and continued his speech as he, at times, continued to cry until the final sentence where he said that he was “delighted” to open the conference.

Late last year, the King was rushed to a private hospital in Greece after suffering a stroke, according to various media reports at the time.

He was born as Prince Constantine of Greece and Denmark on 2 June 1940 in Athens, Greece, as the son of the future King Paul I and Queen Frederica of Greece. He became Crown Prince upon his father’s succession to the throne in 1947. His reign as the King of Greece began on 6 March 1964 after the death of his father. However, he would only reign for nine years before the monarchy was abolished in 1973. He and his family lived in exile in London for many years until he and Anne-Marie returned to Greece in 2013.